Take a road trip to discover the charm of our region’s outlying historic villages. Enjoy a beer in a country pub, fossick for gold, capture heritage streetscapes or simply enjoy the natural beauty and surrounds.
Just 11km from Rylstone, the very picturesque Bylong Valley was first explored by William Lawson in 1822 after the discovery of the Goulburn River which was named after Henry Goulburn, the Colonial Secretary. Today the Bylong Valley is a lush and green area famous for racehorse and beef cattle studs. There is a general store, a school and a public hall.
Just over 40km from Kandos, Glen Alice sits at the beginning of the Wollemi National Park, a completely uninhabited area which extends north along the Great Dividing Range. At the north-east end, the Nile Creek rises and flows down over wide sandy flats. This area is one of sheep and cattle. It is said to have been much favoured by many artists for its scenery and colours.
Situated deep in the Capertee Valley, the second largest enclosed valley in the world, Glen Davis is located on tourist drive 2 and easily accessible. It’s the ideal place to view the changing colours of the magnificent 500m escarpments of the Wollemi National Park. The town was established in 1939 to service the shale oil petroleum requirements of Australia in WWII and was named after the Davis Gelatine family who bankrolled it.
What remains today are mine ruins that are open for tours on weekends and a restored Art Deco Boutique Hotel. It is also the gateway to Coorangooba Campground and the Newness Pipeline walking track. Notably, the valley is listed as one of the top 50 bird-watching spots in the world as an International Important Bird Area (IBA).
40km from Mudgee, Hargraves is often referred to as the veteran of the region’s gold towns. The gold rush began there in 1851 with the discovery of the famous ‘Kerr’s Hundredweight’, a nugget which contained 1,272 ounces of gold. Since the surge of miners that followed this discovery, Hargraves is now a quiet and peaceful village with a general store, post office and school.
Lue (chain of waterholes) believed to be pronounced in the Aboriginal language like ‘Loo-wee’ was originally named Dungaree. The village was moved to allow for the installation of the rail line in 1884 when it was a busy little village on the route to the Hunter Region. In its heyday, Lue boasted a bakery, hotel, blacksmith, two general stores, a product merchant and butcher. Today there’s a popular pub, the unique Lue Pottery and some self-contained and farm stay accommodation options. Take the scenic drive to Rylstone from Mudgee via Lue.
One of the area’s most successful gold mining towns. Gold was still Sofala’s primary industry right up to the 1940s. Today, you can enjoy the town’s heritage streetscape and still fossick for gold dust in the Turon River. Located just under 50km from Kandos.
Nestled in a beautiful valley 40km south-west of Mudgee, Windeyer is steeped in history. Gold was discovered in 1851 and during that era it was common for fossickers to yield up to four ounces of gold per pan. The heritage listed 1911 Windeyer Hotel still operates today, as does a caravan park where you can hire gold panning equipment. Some of the world’s best superfine wool comes from this district.
The gateway to the Goulburn River National Park. According to records, a noted pastoralist called Fitzgerald was one of the first settlers in Wollar who employed many shepherds and stockmen to supervise his cattle and sheep. The village was officially declared in March 1885.
Just a three-and-half-hour road trip or 50-minute flight from Sydney, you’ll find an ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Whether you’re looking for the romance of a country escape or a place to celebrate with friends, or have a desire to explore our region’s heritage, you will find a great range of lodging options making Mudgee Region the obvious choice for your next getaway. There’s such diversity in the region: a great mix of restaurants, pubs, clubs all with different offerings. Art has grown over the last few years with galleries, museums, sculptures in the parks; attracting artists from all over the world. Our world-class wines and wineries offer so many different varieties to suit every palate with the winemaker themselves, in most cases, on-hand to enhance the experience.
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